Bhubaneswar: The municipal corporation talks of cracking the whip on unsafe buildings but it has failed to convince its own employees to vacate three such dilapidated structures at Mulapadia colony in Old Town.

There are two residential buildings in Mulapadia colony that houses several corporation employees. One of the buildings has 18 flats, while two other structures consists of six flats each.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena has asked the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation officials to immediately put up a signboard urging residents to vacate the buildings.

In deference to the mayor's wish, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation tried to persuade its employees to vacate the "unsafe" buildings. However, as the effort did not meet much success, the corporation decided to put up a notice board near the structures at Mulapadia colony.

Talking to The Telegraph, the mayor said: "Mulapadia colony was set up nearly four decades ago. While the bigger complex with 18 quarters was repaired in the past, the two apartment blocks have never been repaired. While six families have left after knowing the condition of the building, six other families are yet to vacate it.''

Sources said the municipal corporation has the mandate to declare a building unsafe after its engineers check its structural quality.

The civic authorities had started a survey to identify unsafe buildings across the city after a building collapsed in Puri on September 8 last year killing four people.

So far, it has listed the old cholera ward of the municipality hospital, Lingaraj Market Complex, Mulapadia flats and a house owned by it in Kharavela Nagar as "unsafe". But the municipal corporation is yet to initiate eviction process in these unsafe buildings. Lingaraj Sahu, a resident of Old Town area near Mulapadia, said: "The civic body should immediately initiate action to vacate its employees from these unsafe buildings, else it will be held responsible in case of any mishap."

The mayor, however, assured prompt action.

"We are going to scan all dilapidated buildings in the city. This time we will also include private buildings that need immediate attention," he said.

Deputy commissioner (public relations) of the corporation Srimanta Mishra said: "A team of engineers and councillors visited the sites last week and they will submit their report tomorrow."

Sources said the committee had recommended repair of the complex with 18 quarters and demolition of the two other blocks at Mulapadia.

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